Startups and innovation

Asif Faruque - Finextra

Fintech startups: A week in review

Fintech is booming. OK - according to VentureBeat it 'might not be the sexiest thing happening around town' (who claimed it was?) but it's growing, and growing quickly.

The startup arm is even more explosive - New York, London, Berlin, Croydon (who'd've thought it?) are all hotbeds of startup activity.

It's not all central counterparty clearing and middleware these days, oh no. The startup scene is making waves in mobile payments, virtual currencies, peer-to-peer loans and crowdfunding to name a few.

True Ventures, the VC firm that brought you delights such as GigaOM, GoodReads, TypeKit and BandCamp have just dropped further cash on Apply Financial, a London-based startup which helps banks validate their payments.

Ever feel like there's too much riff-raff hanging around your accelerator lab? Can't stand the stench of bearded developers chugging red bull and munching through ready meals? Never fear, Canary Wharf accelerator Level39 has just opened the doors to its
private members club.

It's called ClubLounge39 and it hopes to get the banking c-suite types in front of the bearded startup types. It's 2-grand a year, unless you're willing to do a bit of mentoring once a week, and then it's a grand a year. It's got a fancy restaurant inside
too.